The centenary of the Varna Summer International Music Festival is the main focus of the October issue of LIK, the Bulgarian News Agency’s magazine for literature, art and culture, which will be presented at BTA’s National Press Club in Varna on Wednesday. The issue also looks at the 120-year history of the Varna Regional Museum of History.
The presentation, scheduled ahead of the official closing of this year’s festival, will feature a video link to BTA’s national press clubs in Bulgaria and abroad. The event will also mark the launch of a new section on holidays and festivals on the agency’s website.
The festival’s story began in 1926, following the opening of Varna’s Sea Baths. The first national music festival, inaugurated by composers Dobri Hristov and Pantcho Wladigeroff, ran for seven days and attracted considerable public interest. It was the second event of its kind in Europe after the Salzburg festival and established the foundations of what would become Bulgaria’s oldest music festival.
Following a break, the event returned in 1957 as Varna Summer Music Celebrations. The festival hosted the first International Ballet Competition in 1964 and became an annual international music festival in 1966. It joined the European Festivals Association in 1987.
In his introduction to the new LIK issue, Editor-in-Chief Georgi Lozanov traces the development of the original festival into a broader cultural programme encompassing international ballet, jazz, folklore and theatre events. The festival has become part of Varna’s cultural identity, he writes.
The magazine features contributions from people closely associated with the event. Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev looks into its role in attracting cultural tourists and extending the city’s tourist season, while journalist Lili Goleminova revisits notable concerts from its history. Artistic Director Mario Hossen describes the festival as a link between Bulgaria and the international music community, and violinist Mincho Minchev, who was its music director in the 1990s and heads its Summer Music Academy, reflects on its legacy and its original mission to promote Bulgarian composers and performers.
BTA’s archive provides a further historical perspective, documenting the festival’s programmes and visiting artists across the decades.
The second major theme of the October issue is the Varna Regional Museum of History, which traces its origins to collections assembled by teachers at the city’s Boys’ High School in 1887 under the guidance of Karel Skorpil. The Varna Archaeological Society was established in 1901, and a museum exhibition opened on June 11, 1906, in an attic room at the Girls’ High School. The institution has since developed into one of Bulgaria’s major cultural institutions.
Museum Director Igor Lazarenko describes its mission as preserving historical memory, bringing the public into contact with artefacts and safeguarding cultural heritage as a foundation of national identity. Former director Alexander Minchev highlights the museum’s growing standing in Europe and its significance for Varna.
LIK has been freely accessible since January 2024. All issues published since the magazine’s revival in 2022 are available for download from BTA’s website. The October issue, titled “100 Years of Varna Summer on the Music Scene”, is available at https://www.bta.bg/bg/lik-magazine/en
BTA’s LIK to Mark Varna Summer Festival Centenary with Special Issue THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-14 04:52:00
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